Jay Z might think he can “Run This Town” but a Big Apple-based record label is saying “not so fast.”
TufAmerica Inc. on Wednesday slapped Jay Z and his entertainment company with a lawsuit alleging the rap mogul and other industry honchos illegally sampled a late 1960s funk tune without permission for the popular track “Run this Town.”
The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims the company has the exclusive rights to the 1969 song “Hook & Sling” and that Jay Z, his company Roc Nation, WB Music Group and others wrongfully sampled the tune for the 2009 Jay Z hit “Run This Town” that also features Rihanna and Kanye West.
Kanye West, Jay Z and Rihanna perform ‘Run This Town’ at a 9/11 benefit concert Sept., 2009 “Run This Town” was released on a track for Jay Z’s albums “The Blueprint 3” and “The Hits Collection Volume One” and as part of a popular music video.
TufAmerica says it acquired the rights “Hook & Sling,” which was sung by Eddie Bo and produced by Al Scramuzza, in 1996 as part of a package of a deal that covers songs released under Scramuzza’s record label. It claims that samples from the song are used “dozens of times” in “Run This Town.”
“TufAmerica did not authorize the defendants’ reproduction, distribution or public performance of the audio recording ‘Run This Town’ in a music video or in the albums,” the suit says. “Defendants did not have any right to reproduce, distribute or publicly perform samples of … Hook & Sling.”
The suit seeks a court order blocking the defendants from “any further distribution or exploitation” of the song “Run This Town.”
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